Down the Spiral Hill
by thor-you-oaf
Summary: Klaus is plagued with horrific nightmares that cause him to wake up screaming in terror each night. Knowing the deep trouble he would be in if their father found out, his siblings try desperately to keep the situation under control and make it their mission to uncover what's causing their beloved brother so much distress.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

It happened in the middle of the night when they least expected it. The scream was loud and clear with its message: the person doing it was terrified. Footsteps thudded against the hardwood floors from all over the house, running into action as if this was a mission. In a sense it was and the end goal was to keep father from waking up or else there would be hell to pay…for Klaus.

"Go! Go!" Allison whispered loudly, beckoning for Luther to run upstairs and close their father's bedroom door while she ran down to help. She clambered down the stairs quietly as possible, meeting Diego as he exited his room. "Quick, make sure mother doesn't wake up! Hurry, Diego!"

Down the hall she could see two figures sliding across the floors at the speed of light and into the room where the screaming was coming from.

"Allison, he won't stop!" Vanya exclaimed as she rushed out of said room with wide eyes.

"Hush, Vanya!" Allison told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back into the room. Her eyes did a quick scan over the small bedroom until they landed on the bed where Klaus was squirming and kicking wildly, his screams muffled by the hand over his mouth.

"Stop it, Five!" Ben snapped, whacking his brothers hand away from their other brother so he didn't suffocate him.

"Well, do you have a better idea?" Five snapped back, refusing to budge. "I'm not getting in trouble for this if Dad wakes up."

"Both of you stop arguing!" Allison told them, pushing Five away from the bed. She leaned over and shook her brother violently until his eyes opened. "Klaus, quiet! Be quiet!"

"No! No! They're here! Don't let them touch me!" Klaus screeched loudly, waving his arms around to push away whatever ghosts were haunting him. "Don't touch me!"

There was a creak from somewhere in the house and they all froze for a second before diving into action. Five grabbed Klaus' arms and held them down while Ben held him from behind and Allison leaned in to whisper into his ears.

"I heard a rumor," She said softly, her voice echoing in his ears. "I heard a rumor that you were going to stop making noise."

In an instant, Klaus shut his mouth and the last of the scream died into a small whimper before he stopped making noise at all, and trembled in fear in his brother's embrace.

"Really? You couldn't have told him to go back to sleep or tell him that he wasn't scared?" Five complained, moving away from his brother.

"Five, don't be mad," Vanya whispered, stepping forward into the room. "He's alright now. We should all get back to our rooms before Mom senses we're all awake."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Five scoffed, marching out of the room. He went across the hall to his own bedroom and slammed the door shut.

"Klaus, are you okay?" Allison asked, leaning down to put a comforting hand on his tear stricken cheek.

"Of course he's not okay," Ben said with a sigh, still holding his brother. "He will never be okay. Not after what Dad did to him. It's no wonder he's having these horrible nightmares."

"Its never been this bad though," Vanya said, glancing into the hallway where she could see Diego walking down towards the room. "I wonder if something happened."

"You're the one with Dad all the time," Ben pointed out, holding Klaus more tightly as Klaus burrowed his face into Ben's neck for comfort.

"Can I go back to bed now?" Diego demanded, appearing in the doorway next to Vanya. Allison looked at him and nodded, so he grabbed Vanya's hand and pulled her along with him. "Come on, Vanya. We have to get up in a couple hours."

"Yeah," Vanya whispered with a sigh, following him out. "And you need all the beauty sleep that you can get."

Allison snorted at the comment and turned her attention back to her two brothers. "Klaus, do you need help calming down or getting back to sleep?"

"I'll take care of him," Ben objected, shaking his head.

"Okay, then I'm going to find Luther and go back to bed. Come get me if you need anything," Allison said, leaning to kiss Klaus on the cheek. "Good night."

Ben let out his breath and shifted so that he could see Klaus better, but he wasn't happy with what he saw. His brother had always been pale, but right now he almost looked white as a ghost; but that was a horrible choice of words. His eyes were red from crying and his cheeks were sunken from lack of sleep.

Oh, Klaus," Ben sighed sadly, brushing the dark hair out of his brothers face. "What the hell did Dad do to you this time?"

Klaus closed his eyes and bit the inside of his lip, unwilling to share the cause of his nightly terror. He couldn't help but cry silently, clutching on tightly to his brother's hand for comfort. He could not put it into words how terrified he felt. Just thinking about his dream made a fresh wave of tears flow over and he clenched his eyes shut and willed away the horrible images that were flashing in his mind.

Ben looked at the small clock on the wall.

It was just past two in the morning, which meant there were a couple hours left before their mother would come wake them up. He glanced down at his brother, unwilling to leave him suffering like this.

"Scoot over," Ben whispered, nudging Klaus. His brother obliged and he scoot down to lay next to him, throwing his arm around Klaus' body and held him close. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

Klaus nodded and took a deep breath, inhaling the soft scent that was his brother. He felt a little better knowing that Ben was there, but not safe enough to fall back asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Breakfast Fiasco

Down the Spiral Hill – Chapter 2: Breakfast Fiasco

Klaus rolled over in his bed and clutched his blankets tight against his stomach, staring at a spot on the wall. He felt nauseous due to the overpowering smell of bacon that was wafting in from the kitchen where he could hear his mother humming and bustling around as she prepared breakfast for the family. It had been at least half an hour since she had come into his room and announced that it was time to get up before moving on to his siblings too. Unfortunately, Klaus didn't have the willpower to get out of bed that morning. Not only was he exhausted from the happenings of last night, he knew what was in store for him later that day.

A soft knock came from the door and he glanced up to find the elusive, dark haired Vanya standing in the doorway with a concerned look on her face as she stepped inside the room.

"Klaus, are you alright?" She asked in a soft voice, careful not to speak too loudly. "You were so upset earlier, it scared me."

Klaus swallowed back the bile that was rising in the back of his throat and nodded his head. He took a deep breath and answered in a wavering voice that convinced no one. "I'm fine, promise. Go on without me, I'll be there soon."

Vanya looked at him skeptically but said nothing and turned to walk away. Klaus took another deep breath and shakily pushed himself up, groaning when his stomach churned. The smell of bacon was making him sick; it reminded him of rotting flesh. His stomach churned again and it was enough to send him running down the hall for the bathroom.

"What the hell?" Five exclaimed as he was shoved out of the way, hitting the wall with a loud thud. He looked over as Klaus slammed the bathroom door shut behind him.

"What's up?" Ben asked, coming out of his room. He winced as the sound of retching filled the air and they both looked over to the bathroom. "Who's in there?"

"It's Klaus," Five grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Damn, I wonder what his problem is today. First the nightmare and now this."

"What's go – go – going on?" Diego stuttered, exiting his bedroom and wondering what all the commotion was, until he heard the noise from the bathroom. He frowned and glanced down the hall towards the kitchen where he knew their mother was at. "Should I get Mom?"

Ben shook his head and ushered them down the hall so that Klaus could have his privacy. The last thing he wanted was to alert their father of this because he believed that getting sick was a weakness and he trained them to be better than that. The thought was absurd because above all they were children and children got sick sometimes.

They headed into the kitchen where their siblings were standing at the table and took their designated places as their father soon entered the room and went to the head of the table.

"You may be seated," Reginald announced as he pulled back his chair to sit down. He then pulled out the morning paper and began to read a column as be listened to the soft pitter-patter of Grace's heels against the floor and the scraping of each chair – but then he noticed that something was missing. "Where is Number Four?"

The siblings looked around at one another, unsure of either where he was or if they should admit that he was incapacitated at the moment. Thankfully nothing needed to be said because within seconds he came shuffling into the kitchen looking pale and queasy.

"I'm here," Klaus said in a strained voice, careful not to breath through his nose. He didn't want to smell the bacon and have to make a run for the bathroom again. Without another word he moved to his spot at the table and sat quietly between Five and Diego, but made no movement to touch his food and instead closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

Across the table, Ben watched him with a worried expression and the others looked on with unspoken concern. This behavior wasn't normal and it was a bit unnerving to see their eccentric and boisterous brother so subdued.

"Eat up, my darlings," Grace chirped with a bright smile as she finished serving each of them.

Klaus glanced down at his breakfast plate and bit the inside of his lower lip when he saw the three pieces of curled up, grease covered bacon on his plate. It was a harmless breakfast food that he had always enjoyed but in that moment all he could see was fried flesh on his plate and he wasn't sure if he could ever eat it again.

"Eat up," Grace said again, when Klaus didn't touch the meal. "You all have a long day ahead of you and breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"

With a grimace, Klaus picked up a piece if plain toast and nibbled on it, hoping it would help settle his stomach; it tasted like ash on his tongue. He prayed that breakfast would end soon because he didn't know if he could hold out for much longer, but at the same time he was dreading the moment Reginald would stand and announce that the meal was over and it was time for lessons.

Each day of the week held a special lesson for each of them in addition to their group trainings, and Thursday's were his special training day. It was a time when father would cater to their abilities and help them reign each power in full control. As it would be, Klaus had trouble tapping into the full extent of his abilities due to the fact that he was too scared to even try. Reginald seemed to believe that he held a great ability that put him ahead in rank than three of his siblings, but none of them had yet to see what it was. As far as any of them knew, Klaus included, he could only see the dead.

_"Push further, Number Four! If you can see them and they can see you, you should be able to talk to them! Communication is key!"_

What Reginald didn't understand was that these ghosts or spirits or whatever the hell they were, were not trying to communicate with him and tell him their life stories. All they ever did was scream his name loud as a banshee and shriek as if they were dying all over again. He didn't want to talk to them, he wanted them to disappear and leave him alone.

Unfortunately, Reginald had other plans for him which included overcoming this fear of the dead by force if necessary. And if there was one thing that described Sir Reginald Hargreeves it was that he was relentless.


	3. Chapter 3: The Coroner's Report

Down the Spiral Hill – Chapter 3: The Coroner's Report

The hospital basement was cold and smelled like formaldehyde. Despite the bright fluorescent lights that were shining down from the ceiling it felt eerily dark due to the lack of windows and sunlight. The morgue was no place for a child and yet fifteen year old Klaus found himself following his father quite close as they walked towards the coroner's office. His father gripped his arm tight, worried that if he loosened his hold then Klaus would turn and start running in the opposite direction.

Again.

A small whimper escape the back of his throat and Klaus couldn't find it in himself to care that he was showing weakness. He knew that he was a coward and that at his age he should have gotten over his fear of the dead, but no one seemed to understand where it stemmed from. He didn't see friendly ghosts and pleasant spirits that wanted to talk about their life stories.

_"KLAUS! KLAUS, HELP ME! HELP ME, KLAUS!"_

He heard voices gargling with blood and bodily fluids, screams that would echo in his ears through the night. It wasn't transparent ghosts that he saw, it was the half-rotted bodies of the dead and the horrible wounds that had killed them. There were rarely old men that died of old age wanting to talk about their war stories, but lots of times it was little children who had drowned to death and were bloated or mothers who had died in childbirth and begged for their babies.

It was the pleading voices that wanted help that he couldn't offer because he couldn't even help himself. It was a million things plus one and he hated himself for being cursed with this power of telekinesis. All it was, was seeing and hearing the dead and it was horrible and he hated it.

"…Klaus, did you hear what I said?"

The voice startled him and Klaus looked up at his father with a pleading expression on his face, shaking his head.

Reginald sighed and pointed to the table in the middle of the room where there was a body covered by a white sheet. "This is your assignment right here. You have twelve hours to conjure this person and find out how they died."

Klaus closed his eyes and balled his hands into fists, biting the inside of his lower lip. He took a couple deep breaths and tried to calm himself. There was nothing to be afraid of, nothing could touch him. Even if he heard them and saw them, they were only ghosts and they couldn't actually touch him. Unfortunately, that did nothing to help and he whimpered quietly.

"I'll practice at home," He whispered, looking up at his father once more. "I'll work harder and not play until I can control this. Please, don't leave me here."

"We've been over this, dear boy," Reginald said with a frown. "You won't conjure up the dead on your own, you wait for them to come to you. This is middle ground, the best situation to help you control your power. The dead are here, you just need to conjure the right person. Get to work, Number Four. I'll be back in a couple hours."

"No, don't leave me here," Klaus cried, reaching for his father's arm. It had been bad enough when he'd gotten locked in the mausoleum for a day, but this was so much worse. This was the actual morgue where the bodies were not sealed away behind concrete, they were on tables and in the refrigerated cabinets, and so close to him. "Dad, please. Don't leave me here. Dad? Dad? Wait, where are you – NO! What are you doing?! DAD! COME BACK! DAD!"

Reginald had switched down the lights and locked the door behind him. Klaus pounded on the door with his fists, screaming loudly for his father to return and save him. This was the mausoleum all over again, except so much worse.

Klaus slid down the wall onto the floor, curling up into a ball and pulling his knees to his chest, burying his head in them as he cried miserably. He didn't understand what was so important about talking to dead people, it did the team no good in the middle of a fight. The best that could ever come from it was gathering information and even that seemed trivial.

"_Klaus, come over here, Klaus. I want to tell you something."_

_"You're alive. Why aren't I alive? Why not me?"_

_"Help me! Help me, please! Help!"_

_"I WANT MY MOMMY!"_

"Stop it!" Klaus cried out, covering his ears with his hands. "I can't help you! Go away and leave me alone!"

_"MOMMY! MOMMY WHERE ARE YOU?!"_

_"Klaus, help us! Please?"_

Something rustled from across the room and Klaus gasped loudly, crawling into the far corner as far away as possible.

_"Klaus, please, help me!"_

_"MOMMY?!"_

_"Klaus…Klaus…KLAUS!"_

The voices were growing louder and caving in on him, it was maddening. Something was in the room with him, crawling along the floor closer and closer, moaning and gasping for air and within moments it would get him.

He was hyperventilating and trembling violently, unable to control himself or anything that was going on around him even though he was supposed to be able to. He was powerless, helpless, and there was no coming back from this.

~_scene break~_

Reginald walked down the hallway in the basement of the hospital, whistling a fine tune that he heard on the radio on the way over. He swung his decorative cane in hand and rounded the corner, reaching the office at last. Reaching into the office, he pulled out the borrowed keys and unlocked the door, pushing it open. He couldn't help but sigh when he saw the room was still dark and knew that this assignment had been a failure. If Number Four had been able to keep a calm and collected head he would have realized that he could have merely turned the lights back on, which Reginald did himself.

The room had been just as he left it, untouched and calm as it should be. After all, the dead were not going to come back to life so he didn't understand what there was to be afraid of.

"Mission report," Reginald said, looking around for the child. He found the boy hiding beneath the desk in the corner, staring at nothing with a blank expression. "Number Four, mission report."

Klaus lifted his gaze up to his father and stared at him for a long moment before answering in a hushed voice.

"Janie Thomas, died last night after her father shot her in the head," Klaus whispered, his voice void of emotion. "She was ten years old."


	4. Chapter 4: One Storming Night

Down the Spiral Hill – Chapter 4: One Storming Night

The wind howled in the near distance, causing the house to creak and groan like some sort of monster. Thunder rolled in the dark, night sky and every couple of minutes lightening would strike and light up all the rooms in the house. Rain pelted the windows and against the roof, creating a lulling pitter-patter sound that aided in the peaceful sleep that had fallen over the Umbrella Academy building. It was like any other night and there was nothing out of the ordinary happening. The children had gone to bed with full bellies and were dreaming of the things that teenagers dreamt about.

Everyone, except for Sir Reginald Hargreeves and Number Four, petite and dark haired Klaus.

It was just past midnight when the two came back home, entering the house quietly and shaking the rain from their coats. The hour was late and Klaus was exhausted both physically and emotionally from the days events, and he was hungry too. All he had eaten was a bit of toast at breakfast and that was almost eighteen hours ago. Unfortunately he knew that it was unlikely that he would get anything to eat, especially when Reginald beckoned for him to follow him into his private study.

The door shut behind them and while Reginald went to sit at the desk, Klaus stood there and waited.

"The information you were able to extract from the young girl is invaluable. The police had no suspects for her murder and now they will arrest her father and give her the justice that she deserves," Reginald told Number Four in a quiet voice. "Your gift is useful and important, never forget that. The dead have nothing to offer but information. They cannot harm you, Number Four. I should hope that after tonight you'll let go out this irrational fear of them."

Klaus nodded his head but didn't answer to that. There was everything to be afraid of and he wished that his father could see and hear the things that he did every single day.

"I'm pleased with the progress that you made today," Reginald continued, giving a praising nod. "You have much more to learn, to uncover about your telekinetic abilities. It's more than just communicating with the dead, so much more."

"Will I have to go back?" Klaus asked, dreading the answer. He didn't dare admit that he had not conjured the little girl, that she had already been there when they had arrived earlier.

Reginald stared at him for a long minute before shaking his head. "Keep your promise, child. Practice long and hard at home and if you make progress then I will consider something new for next week. You may go to bed."

Klaus turned and took the three steps to the door, but paused with his hand on the doorknob. He turned around and looked at his father was a stoic expression on his face.

"There was something in that room," He told Reginald quietly. "It was moving."

"The dead do not move," Reginald reminded him in a stern voice. "Your mind is tired and needs rest. Go."

Klaus did not respond and quietly left the office with Reginald watching him until he disappeared from sight.

"Interesting…"

~Cookies from IKEA are delicious!~

Klaus shuffled through the house until he reached the hall where his bedroom was, flipping the lights on as he entered. He looked around the small room and tried to spot if there was something out of the ordinary or hiding in the shadows, but there was nothing. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he quietly began to discard his clothes and put on his favorite pajamas. Once he was dressed, he turned off the lights and crawled into bed, holding his blankets close and shutting his eyes.

He didn't feel like himself and it wasn't a good feeling. His mood was dampened by the dark things that he would see and ever since Reginald had begun these field trips to the hospital morgue, things had gotten much worse than they had been. It was getting more difficult to block out the constant hushed voices that whispered into his ears that no one else could seem to hear. It had always been simple enough to distract himself by having fun and being loud and boisterous, but now he couldn't shake what was there hiding in the shadows.

There was something in the room with me, Klaus told himself, sucking on his lower lip nervously. His stomach twisted and his heart skipped a beat as he thought about the sensation he had felt earlier. He didn't know how to describe it, but there had definitely been something moving around there. At first he had thought it was a person, or a body come back to life and crawling to him, but then the thing just…moved around lightly without going near him.

"_Klaus_…"

The voice came out of nowhere and startled him, and Klaus yelped in surprise and clenched his eyes shut and covered his ears to block it out. He'd had just about enough of the voices for one day. It was time for him to sleep and rest and the ghosts were just going to have to deal with it.

But then something wet and cold touched his cheek, like a small hand, and Klaus screamed in fright, tumbling out of the bed. He continued to scream and fervently wiped at his face, horrified when he saw blood on his hands.

In the distance he could hear loud footsteps and the creaking of floor boards in the house and within seconds his lights were on and his father was standing in the doorway with his siblings at his heel.

"What in God's name is going on?!" Reginald demanded in a loud voice, to be heard over the screaming. It was enough to shock Klaus back to his senses and he choked on the scream, coughing until he regained his breath.

"It touched me! Something touched me! It – It – There's blood!" Klaus screeched in horror, wiping the burgundy slime from his face. He looked at his hands and gasped – there was nothing there. The blood had disappeared completely.

"I've had enough of this! Get up," Reginald commanded, grabbing Number Four by the arm and pulling him out of the room, the other children scattering to get out of the way. He pushed Klaus to the ground in the hallway and towered over him with a displeased expression. "Kneel, Number Four. Put your arms out in front of you and stay like that until you cannot keep your eyes open. Perhaps then you'll be tired enough to quit with this nonsense. The rest of you, back to bed!"

The children scurried away as quickly as they had come. Allison and Luther ran for the stairs, thundering up as if the devil was on their heels. Vanya grabbed Five's hand and they scurried down the hall for their rooms while Diego and Ben dove into their own for safety.

Klaus watched in distress as his siblings disappeared and the house went dark with only the occasional burst of lightening lighting up the house. Klaus cried quietly to himself and clenched his eyes shut, his arms trembling already.

Down the hall, Diego crept to his bedroom door to glance out at his brother. He felt bad and scoot out as much as he could without making noise.

"Shhh, don't cry, Klaus," He whispered quietly, careful not to alert their father that he was sort of disobeying orders. He heard the floor creaked looked across the hall where Ben had followed his example, and when he heard the floor creak further down he knew that Five and Vanya were sitting in the doorways too.

"Be quiet, idiot," Five hissed from two doors down. "Do you want him to come back and punish you worse?"

"N-No," Klaus hiccups, catching his breath.

"Just take some deep breaths," Ben instructed in a hushed voice, attempting to reach out to see if he could touch his brother. It didn't work and he had a better idea – tentacles. He lifted the hem of his night shirt and let one slither to his brother and touch his hand.

Unfortunately this wasn't the best idea that he had and thanks to Five's quick reflexes, he was able to appear next to their brother and cover his mouth before he could scream again.

"Idiot!" Five hissed at Ben as the tentacle retracted.

"Ben, that was stupid," Vanya said with a sigh, shaking her head. Klaus had said not five minutes ago that something had touched him. Why on earth had Ben thought it was a good idea to touch him with a slimy tentacle?

"Damn," Ben cursed, crawling over to his brothers. To hell with rules; Klaus needed him. He wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Klaus."

Klaus elbowed him in the side and lowered himself so that he could sit more comfortable. It wasn't likely that Reginald would come back again that night.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Five grumbled at Klaus, sitting next to him and scooting over as Diego and Vanya crawled over to them.

Klaus wiped his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling a little better now that he wasn't alone. He was quiet for a couple minutes and focused on the sound of the rain hitting the house. He relaxed when he felt Vanya's small hand grasp his own and squeeze it reassuringly.

"What happened today, Klaus?" Vanya asked him sadly. This wasn't the brother that she knew and loved so dearly, the one that always seemed to find the fun in everything that he did.

"He went training with Dad, that's what," Diego responded. They all knew about the mausoleum and if that was the beginning, he couldn't imagine what came next for his brother. He couldn't help but feel thankful that his abilities did not stretch further than martial arts and knives.

Klaus ran his hands through his black curls and shook his head, taking another deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it. You should go to bed before we all get in trouble."

His heart beat was slowing down with each breath he took and the paranoia was leaving his mind with each moment that he was surrounded by his family. There weren't many hours left until it was time to wake up again and he was sure that he would be alright for the rest of the night. He certainly didn't plan on staying in the hall all night either; Reginald didn't say he had to.

"No, I'll stay here with you," Ben objected, shaking his head as he looped their arms together with a small smile.

"Yeah, me too," Diego agreed, leaning against the wall.

"Not me," Five said with a yawn. He stood up and was about to walk away, but Vanya stuck out her foot and tripped him, sending him a pointed look until he grumbled under his breath and sat back with them.

They were a team and leaving someone behind wasn't acceptable in their code book. It didn't matter if someone was having a hard time in school or needed help on a mission, they all knew that in the end six people were there to support them and had their back. It was comforting and Klaus was able to push all thoughts from his mind and get a couple hours of sleep knowing that nothing could touch him with this group of misfits protecting him.

~scene break~

Reginald watched the security footage from the morgue with absolute fascination, unable to look away from the screen that was showing in black and white. He had been waiting for this moment for quite some time now and although he had expected it to come forth years ago, he was just pleased that at last Number Four was moving things with his mind – although it was quite clear that the child had no idea what he was doing it.

_"There was something in the room with me. It was moving."_

He wished that Number Four would overcome this obscene fear once it for all and he might have realized that there was nothing in the room, it had been him making the movement. His emotions were tied to his powers, so much like his sister, and because of this papers were floating in the air and a laboratory coat was drifting around like a ghost. The child held extraordinary power and Reginald couldn't help but think that if Number Four could ever harness the extent of it, he could have been his number one.

For the moment, he would continue to focus on getting the child to communicate and conjure the dead. He knew that if he put too much pressure on him, his powers could explode and cause great harm.

In many ways, Number Four was very much like Number Seven, but much less dangerous to the world.


	5. Chapter 5: Five's Offer

The hour ended with the siblings crawling back to their separate rooms and into the comfort of their own beds, seeking the warmth of the blankets and the soft cushion of their pillows. The rest of the night passed without incident and the house got a good couple hours of uninterrupted sleep, which was much needed due to the amount of training they endured on a daily basis.

Morning came in a blink of an eye and with it came a breakfast of oatmeal and toast before schooling with Pogo. The hours passed by with long lessons and grueling assignments to complete and it was enough to keep seven little minds occupied. There was not time to think about what had happened the following day and for that Klaus was grateful – he didn't want to explain it because he wasn't sure what had actually happened.

He had felt someone touching him, a cold and bloody hand against his cheek; he was sure of it. He had seen the blood and could practically taste it on his tongue with the thick stench of it. So he didn't understand how it could have disappeared without warning. It was possible that he had imagined it – he'd had a long and tiring day. He'd been hungry and exhausted and wasn't thinking clearly so it could have just been the beginnings of a nightmare that just felt realistic.

But it had felt so real!

Unfortunately, there was no way to tell and he had no choice but to let it go and move on with his life. There were more important things happening, such as the fact that father had gone away on business and wouldn't return for several days. It was a time to rejoice and have fun, but all Klaus could think about was the hand that touched him and the happenings that were on the news playing on the television.

"An arrest has been made for the murder of ten year old Janie Thomas, who was shot in the head two nights ago. Police have evidence to prove that the girl's father is the culprit."

"That's disgusting," Allison said, shaking her head as they watched the television screen. "She was a little girl. How could someone do that, let alone her own father?"

Luther reached over to pat her hand affectionately. "They got the bastard and that's what matters. He'll be out to justice and she'll rest in peace."

Klaus hoped that this proved to be true and the little girl went to heaven and didn't bother him again. Her wails echoed in the back of his mind and it made his heart hurt the way she cried for her mother. It had taken hours to get himself to calm down so that he could calm her down and get the answers that he needed.

Unfortunately the little girl was just the beginning of it all. He had promised father to practice on his own at home and if he didn't keep the promise he knew that he would be forced back in the morgue to do the exercise again, and next time could prove to be someone much worse than a scared little girl.

He stood up and excused himself from the living room, walking through the house until he reached his room and shut the door behind him. He sat on the edge of his bed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to keep himself collected.

"Hello?" He said in a hushed voice, focusing on the temperature in the room. He called on something deep within him, calling out for an unseen force to come forth. Ghosts were cold and the moment the temperature dropped he would know he was in control.

"Come out and talk to me, ghost."

He knew that he shouldn't have to be locked in a room with actual dead bodies to conjure up a spirit, but it certainly helped. He was determined to do this, though. Talking to ghosts in the comfort of his own home was much more appealing than being locked in a dark and cold mausoleum or hospital morgue.

"My name is Klaus and I want to talk."

He really didn't, but that was beside the point.

All of a sudden, the temperature fell and the air had a chill to it. His breath hitched in the back of his throat and a small whimper escaped as he watched frost expand on his window. A shiver rolled down his spine and he closed his eyes again, determined to keep going.

"Show yourself," He whispered, wrapping his arms around his body for comfort. He peeked open an eye and let out a gasp when he found himself not in his bedroom. He was in a dark place, pitch black with nothing to be seen, as if he were in a void.

Klaus breathed in and held it, counting to ten inside his head. He was determined not to let his fear control him, it was time to grow up and face his fears. He didn't want to be weak and continue to show his family how much of a coward he was; he wanted to be strong and useful before he was pushed to the side with Vanya.

Letting out the breath, Klaus opened his eyes and looked around the dark place but he didn't really know what he was looking for. In all honesty, he hadn't ever conjured a spirit, they just showed up out of nowhere and usually in places where there had been death.

"Spirits! Come out," Klaus called out in a loud, confident voice. He straightened his shoulders and held up his chin to show that he was taking this seriously. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Who are you talking to?" Five demanded from out of nowhere, bringing Klaus back to reality.

The dark haired boy blinked and looked around, surprised to find that he was back in his bedroom. He then glared at his brother. "Damn it, Five! You ruined my concentration."

"It didn't look like you were doing much besides talking to the poster of Michelle Pfieffer on your wall," Five said drily as he walked in and sat at the desk facing his brother. "We need to talk."

"I don't have your stash of dirty magazines!" Klaus exclaimed with a wide grin, using his foot to push said stack of magazines further under his bed.

"Can you be serious for once?" Five sighed, rubbing his temples. "I want to talk about the dark place."

Klaus turned serious and looked at his brother. "What did you just say?"

"Look, I get it," Five told him in a quiet voice, glancing at the door as if one of their siblings would run in all of a sudden and interrupt the moment. He then turned his attention back to Klaus and let his expression soften. "When I teleport, I don't just magically reappear from nowhere. For that split second in between places, I'm in this dark place. It's void of life and it's cold, really cold. It used to scare the shit out of me."

"Why are you telling me this?" Klaus questioned.

"Because, I think you've been there too," Five told him, kicking his brother's shin with his foot affectionately. "Isn't that what happens when you conjure spirits, like really try and conjure them? That's where you go in your dreams. You get stuck there and then the spirits come and it freaks you out."

Klaus looked down at his hands but said nothing. His brother was absolutely right, now that he thought about it. He hadn't been dreaming at night, not really. His subconscious would go straight to the dark place and get stuck, trapping himself with all the ghosts until someone forcefully woke him.

"I'm sorry that this is happening to you," Five said earnestly, his voice soft and genuine. "I wish there was a way that I could help. I've been thinking about it and all I can come up with is teleporting there to meet you."

Klaus looked up hopefully. "You would do that?"

Five was silent for a moment as he stared at the floor but nodded his head swiftly. "If it would help, I could try it."

Klaus smiled happily and jumped up, throwing himself into his brother's arms. "Five, you're the best! You're my favorite but don't tell the others!"

"Ugh! Get off me," Five complained, pushing Klaus away. He was too cool to give hugs – he had a rep to protect! "I'm not making promises. For all we know, these could be completely different places we're talking about."

"I know," Klaus said with a nod. He couldn't stop smiling. This was the happiest he felt in a long time, he almost felt relief. If Five could meet him in the dark place, he was sure that he could overcome his fear of the dead. After that, it would be no problem learning to control this ability once and for all.

Unable to stop himself, he leaned in and kissed his brother on the cheek happily. Five rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath as he wiped his cheek, but he couldn't complain; not when Klaus was finally smiling for the first time in weeks.

He just really hoped that this didn't end up being a mistake. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck in that God forsaken place of nightmares.


	6. Chapter 6: Allison

Hello, dearest readers!

First of all, thank you for the comments/reviews! They're much appreciated! Second, I hope that you'll enjoy this story as much as I do. I have to admit, the ending is to die for! I don't have a set schedule for updates, I tend to just upload chapters as I write them or else I lose them on my phone. I have the whole story outline finish and I promise to see it through to the finish. So have fun reading and let me know what you think!

xoxo

Down the Spiral Hill – Chapter 6: Allison

Allison sat on the ledge of the window, staring out at the solemn rain outside. She hated being trapped in the house due to bad weather but she detested going out in the rain and getting the hem of her pants wet. There was a new movie showing at the theater and she wanted to go see it with Luther later, but now she wasn't so sure. It didn't help that her mind was preoccupied with the poor little girl that had been murdered that week.

All the training and assignments meant nothing at the end of the day and if truth were told, sometimes she felt that their abilities were not as useful as father made them out to be. There were no super villains constantly trying to take over the world – they dealt with bank robbers and little missions to make them look like a big deal. What good were any of them when little girls were being murdered by their daddies?

She felt disgusted with herself.

Even if she put thought into it, she couldn't have been able to save the girl or stop the father from killing her. What happened had been in the privacy of a family home and sure, if this had been premeditated they could have sent in Luther, Klaus, and Five to prevent it from happening but at the end of the day these things just happened. That was life – people died every day and sometimes it wasn't fair.

Father told them all the time that they were destined to save the world.

Allison was beginning to see the truth about life: society as a whole is greater than one individual. She and her siblings were the big shots, the ones who saved society. The individual, like Janie Thomas, was nothing but an ant under a boot – they weren't important. At least, they weren't important enough for the Umbrella Academy to bother with.

_But, that's the beauty of law enforcement_, Allison reminded herself. She took comfort in knowing there were hundreds of men and women who put their lives on the line to protect the little people, who would spend countless hours working until the criminals were punished and put behind bars, and she took comfort knowing that Janie Thomas's father had been caught.

"Oh! I didn't know anyone was up here."

Allison jumped and glanced behind her where she found Klaus standing in the door frame. She hurried and put out the cigarette that she had been smoking; it was a dirty habit and she didn't want anyone to know about it.

"I can leave," Klaus said, taking a step back and pointing behind him.

"No, that's okay," Allison replied, shaking her head. She stood up and brushed off the back of her pants before smiling, but it didn't last when she saw that her dear brother was wearing her favorite pair of leather pants. "I spent fifty dollars on those!"

Klaus glanced down at the pants and frowned. "Well, I'll give them back after I'm done wearing them. They don't do much for my ass, anyways."

Allison sighed and ran a hand through her springy curls. "You're so obnoxious, Klaus. I thought I had lucked out with Vanya being so short that she couldn't borrow my clothes. Of course I would end up having a flamboyant brother."

"You know there's another word for it," Klaus replied, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"Yeah, but you aren't homosexual," Allison pointed out. Klaus never tried to hide who he was and it was common knowledge that he had a big heart, as they all liked to call it. Klaus loved everything and he was just a loveable sort of person so they all rolled with it. Male, female – it didn't matter to Klaus and it didn't matter to them.

Well, it mattered when he tried to flirt with Diego's girlfriend.

Oh, and when Vanya had a date with the boy from the teen orchestra and somehow ended up the third wheel when Klaus decided to tag along and charm the boy.

Also, that one time when – well, you get the point.

Klaus laughed gaily and followed his sister out of the attic and towards the stairs.

"Hey, Klaus?" Allison said suddenly, coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hn?"

Allison bit her lower lip and hesitated before talking again. What she wanted to ask wasn't fair, especially since she knew that her brother had been having a hard time the past couple of week, but something was bothering her and the only person that could help was Klaus.

"That little girl on the news," Allison said slowly, lifting her gaze to look him in the eyes. "I just…I want to know that she's going to be alright. I mean, despite being dead. I just…I don't know."

"You want to know that she can find peace and move on to heaven," Klaus finished for her, clenching the hem of his shirt sleeve. "You want me to conjure her?"

"I don't know," Allison admitted with a shrug. "Like, what if she has gone to heaven? Wouldn't it be cruel to call her back down and make her think about what happened?"

Klaus didn't have an answer to that.

"I don't know what I'm thinking," Allison continued with a small sigh. "Never mind, forget I brought it up."

Without another word, she walked off and tried to push the thoughts of the little girl out if her mind. The girl was dead and nothing was going to change that. It wouldn't be fair to Klaus either to ask him to do something that he clearly didn't like to do.

She couldn't help but wonder how Klaus seemed to rank higher than both Five and Ben when he never seemed to do much of anything but cower in fear. In the end, if he wouldn't even try to understand and control his abilities he was more useless than Vanya. At least she had her wit and musical talents to offer the world – there was nothing special about Klaus.


	7. Chapter 7: Janie Thomas

Down the Spiral Hill – Chapter 7: Janie Thomas

Klaus crept into his bedroom through the window, careful not to crash into anything and make a racket. It was late and if Grace found out that he had snuck out after curfew, there would be severe consequences but in his mind it had all been worth it to meet up with the cute cashier from the corner convenience store. The just hoped that he didn't have any visible hickeys on his neck again.

Once he was perched on his bed safe and sound, he carefully shut the window, wincing when he squeaked loudly before coming to a close. Letting out a breath of relief, he turned around to get out of the bed with the intentions of taking a shower and calling it a night, but then the temperature in the room dropped and a chill rolled down his spine. His breath hitched in his throat and he closed his eyes, silently hoping that if he ignored it long enough then it would go away.

But then something cold and wet touched his hand.

"Don't scream. Scream and you're dead. Understand?"

Klaus clamped his mouth shut and turned around, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Standing there was the little ghost girl from the other night: Janie Thomas.

"You're a real cry baby, aren't ya?" Janie demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"What do you want?" Klaus whispered, pulling his pillow into his lap and holding onto it tightly. He tried not to look at the bullet hole in her forehead, but it was seeping blood all down her front.

"I want to see my mommy," Janie told him, her lower lip trembling. "I miss her so much."

Klaus stared at her and opened his mouth, but no words came out. How the hell was he supposed to tell this dead little girl that he couldn't help her? Not the way that she meant. She didn't want to see her mother, she wanted to be with her. She wanted to hold onto her mother and be told that she was loved and that everything would be okay, but that would never happen and he hated himself for having to tell her this. Even if he found her mother, Janie wouldn't get the goodbye that she needed.

"Go home, then," Klaus told her helplessly, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Your mom will be there. What do you want me to do? I mean, I could pass a message along but that's about it…"

"No! I can't find her," Janie cried loudly, her voice echoing in the quiet house and startling Klaus. "I went home but she wasn't there! I waited and waited but she never came home."

"Well, maybe she can't go home. I mean, it's a crime scene. Could she have gone to stay with a friend or relative? I think you should go check and see," Klaus offered, leaning back as she took a step forward.

Janie stared at him with a hard expression. "I think my daddy killed her too. She didn't come home that night."

"Oh," Klaus said softly, feeling uncomfortable. "I'm…sorry. I – uh – I'm not sure that I can really help."

"But you can see me!" Janie exclaimed, stomping her foot on the ground. "Find my mommy! I wanna see her! I'm not leaving until you find her! I'm going to stand here and scream until you do it and I'm dead so I won't turn blue or stop to take a breath."

"I don't know how!" Klaus replied in horror, but she was already opening her mouth to scream. "Wait, wait, wait! I'll try, okay?!"

"Okay. Do it," Janie agreed instantly.

"I – I don't know how," Klaus repeated in a timid voice, but hurried and continued when she opened her mouth again. "I'm still learning how! I promise that I will practice and look for her, but it's hard to concentrate with you around. Just…go away. Go to heaven and when I find your mom, I'll call you."

"No, I wanna stay here with you," Janie objected, shaking her head and splattering blood all over the room.

"You can't stay here," Klaus said hurriedly. "I can't do my magic with two ghosts at the same time. Look, your mom would want to know that you're safe and happy in heaven. Go wait there until I find her. Do you think she would be happy knowing that you're waiting here scared and alone?"

"No," Janie said sadly, her shoulders slumping.

"No, she wouldn't," Klaus agreed, shaking his head.

Janie sighed and looked down at her bare feet. "Promise you'll call me when you find her?"

"I promise," Klaus agreed earnestly.

"Will there be other kids there?" Janie asked hopefully, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Lots of kids," Klaus said with a nod, sending her a smile. "There will be kittens and unicorns too. Ice cream for breakfast with extra sprinkles. There's a castle waiting for you and clouds made of pink cotton candy."

"Really?" Janie asked, her eyes sparkling with delight as she grinned widely. "Okay, it's a deal!"

Out of nowhere, she threw herself at Klaus and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Klaus stared down in horror when he noticed that the back her head had been blown off from being shot. However, when she finally pulled away her bullet hole had disappeared and she looked like a normal little girl.

Janie waved goodbye and disappeared from sight, the chill in room disappearing with her.

Klaus closed his eyes and sighed, putting a hand on his rapidly beating heart.

He had a _lot_ of work to do.


	8. Chapter 8: Heart to Heart

Down the Spiral Hill – Chapter 8: Heart to Heart

It was just past noon when Klaus found himself following his brother upstairs to the attic. They had finished their studied for the day and Mom had made a lovely lunch of peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches with a side of potato chips. Their siblings were scattered around the house minding their own business and now was the best time to get started on the plans to reach the dark place. Five had apparently reserved the attic for this matter and had paid his siblings not to bother them for the rest of the day. It was a hefty sum with the condition not to ask questions as per Klaus's request.

_If they knew what we were about to do, they would all talk us out of it_, Klaus thought to himself as he reached the top of the stairs. Although it was unspoken between the two of them, Klaus was well aware of the risks this situation posed for both of them. It was damaging to his mental health and put a lot of stress on him, which was probably the main cause of his nightmares. But more importantly, there was a great risk that either one of them could get stuck in the dark place. He knew that Five was at a greater risk because he would teleport there physically while he himself would only be there spiritually. If this didn't work, Five could get trapped in the dark place and there would be no hope of rescuing him.

That only showed that despite that they weren't related by blood, the bond of family was strong and Five was willing to risk himself to help his brother. Klaus couldn't put it into words how grateful he was for Five.

"Alright, let's get started," Five said in a quiet voice, standing in the middle of the attic and looking around. It was a comfortable room that they all found peace and solitude in, almost like an escape from reality. There were large cushions tossed on the floor and Five sat down and leaned against one of them, patting the ground for his brother to join him.

Klaus sat down and looked at his brother. "So how are we going to do this?"

"I've been thinking a lot about it and I think the best place to start is to meditate," Five said seriously, ignoring the crestfallen look on Klaus's face. "You have to concentrate to get to the dark place and that's something you don't do well."

"That's not true," Klaus argued, shaking his head. Even though the thought of sitting in complete silence was torture for him, he could concentrate fine. "I just don't like to, Five. I don't like when it's still and quiet, that's – that's when the ghosts start to come."

"Why does that bother you so much?" Five wanted to know, although he didn't ask in a judgmental sort of voice. He was genuinely curious and concerned about what his brother saw and heard that the rest of them couldn't.

Klaus sighed and leaned against a pillow, closing his eyes as he thought about it. "You don't understand, Five. Nobody does."

"Then help me to," Five demanded, leaning over to put his hand on his brother's knee. "Talk to me about it, Klaus. You can talk to any one of us, I hope you know that."

Klaus frowned and looked at him for a moment before averting his eyes to the floor, picking at the hem of his shirt.

"Sometimes I can see them, the dead people. Sometimes they looked like rotting corpses with their flesh peeling from their bones for a decade. Other times I see them when they've recently died, in the form that they died in. Old people that look gross, families that died in car accidents and are all broken and bloodied."

"That's gruesome," Five mumbled under his breath, shaking his head. "But they aren't always around, right? You must have learned to make them disappear then. Maybe it's subconscious but somewhere along the line from when your abilities started to start until now, you managed to find a way to stop seeing them. That's what we needed to focus on."

"I thought the plan was to find the dark place?" Klaus said with a frown, but he wasn't going to argue.

Five nodded his head. "It is, but the dark place will be there until we actually need to go there. I think it's more important that you find out how you're making these ghosts disappear when they show up. When is the last time there was one bothering you?"

"Last night," Klaus said timidly, fiddling his hands together uncomfortably. "It was the little girl that was murdered the other night. She came to me wanting help finding her mother."

"How did she leave?" Five asked him.

Klaus sighed, knowing that his answer wasn't the one that his brother was hoping for. "She left on her own because I said I would find her mother for he."

"Okay, there you go!" Five said to him. "If you can talk to them, tell them to go away."

"It's not that simple," Klaus complained, feeling irritable. He glared at his brother in resentment; no one would ever understand how complicated this whole ordeal was. "Don't you think that I've tried telling them to leave me alone? I can't control them! They're ghosts, they have minds of their own! They're going to do what they want to do!"

"I'm trying to help," Five snapped at him with a glare. "If you can talk to them and they can talk to you, there shouldn't be anything scary about that."

"They don't just talk!" Klaus exploded angrily. "They SCREAM and they touch me with their rotten, bloodied hands! It's like the zombie apocalypse all the time, unable to escape them! Yes, I can talk to them! But what good is that when all they want to do is scream into my ears that they don't want to be dead?! It's not just scary, it's maddening! It's driving me insane! You try coping with dead people yelling at you all the time!"

Five stared in shock at his brother, his eyes wide and his lips thin. He had never seen Klaus explode like this or even get remotely angry.

"I can't deal with this!" Klaus exclaimed, standing up abruptly and marching out of the attic, leaving a shell-shocked Five behind. He stomped all the way down the stairs, not caring that he was causing a racket, and bolted out the front door without looking back.

He couldn't be in that house and he couldn't be surrounded by his awful siblings and their stupid powers. In that moment, he couldn't control the emotions that were running through him or the horrible thought in his mind that he would much rather not exist than to live at all – but he knew that it didn't work that way. He most certainly did exist and because of that his only choice was to live or to die and neither of those were appealing. He could continue to live and be tormented by the dead, or he could die and be stuck in the dark place forever with no escape.

He couldn't win.


End file.
